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This invention relates generally to telecommunications job scheduling.
Many systems can be characterized as offering different classes of resources that process different classes of jobs. These resource classes often vary in their job processing capabilities. Similarly, job class characteristics can vary such that only a restricted set of resource classes can process a particular job. Scheduling allocates a particular resource for processing a job. The pairing of job to resource can strongly affect system performance. That is, different scheduling assignments can result in faster or slower processing of a incoming job.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a computer-based method of scheduling a first job for processing by a resource. The method proceeds by identifying resources capable of processing the first job and selecting a second job for rescheduling from jobs currently being processed by the identified resources such that the second job can be processed by resources other than the identified resources. Scheduling further includes scheduling the first job for processing by the resource currently processing the second job and rescheduling the second job.
The invention may continue by identifying resources capable of processing the second job and selecting a third job for rescheduling from jobs currently being processed by the identified resources such that the third job can be processed by resources other than the identified resources. The scheduling can proceed by scheduling the second job for processing by the resource currently processing the third job and rescheduling the third job.
The system may select a job for rescheduling by selecting the job that can be processed by the greatest number of resources other than the identified resources. Enforcement of the scheduling may be contingent upon successful rescheduling.
In one example implementation the resources are communication frequencies while the jobs are wireless communication transmitted over the communication frequencies. In another example implementation the resources are communication subchannels while the jobs are information being transmitted by the communication subchannels having corresponding priority ratings.
The invention may offer one or more of the following advantages. The invention dynamically determines a new scheduling configuration that can both continue processing jobs currently being processed and begin processing a new job if any such configuration exists. Further, switching to the new configuration requires few hand-offs of jobs between processors. Additionally, the system can ensure that a job being processed is not terminated or delayed once some resource has begun processing the job.